The sickened luna’s last chance

Ella

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The sudden warmth of Alexander’s arms around me made me let out an involuntary squeak of surprise. I hadn’t expected him to hug me; he’d maintained his usual polite distance since last night.

Once we had returned from the banquet, I’d slipped away to check on Lilith–who was resting in her

room, sleeping when I arrived–and he had gone to his office to handle the onslaught of paperwork he’d

received after the coronation.

And now he was hugging me like his life depended on it.

But then I began to relax into him, and the fabric swatches slipped from my fingers.

Goddess, he smelled good. Too good–like coming home to a place that you should have left long ago. I

pressed my face against his chest and breathed him in like the fool I was, and for a moment, I could have

sworn I felt his arms tightening around me.

I wanted to ask what we were now. Because the way he was hugging me seemed far more intimate than I

expected.

But for now, I kept it to myself. Alexander still didn’t fully trust me, and part of me was afraid to burst this brief little bubble of happiness.

When we finally pulled apart, my heart was pounding in my chest. I hated the way my cheeks were a

fiery red now. Hated the way his green eyes looking down at me made me want to crumple right then and

there.

“What was that about?” I asked, stooping to pick up the forgotten color swatches.

Alexander shook his head. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

It didn’t seem like nothing; I’d seen Gabriel storming out of the house just minutes prior, followed by the rev of his car engine as he sped away. It must have been another argument, and after what happened last

had a feeling it had

all I knew, Gabriel

fact that Alexander

importantly, what was going through

talk about it right now, so I

a moment, then pointed to the soft

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it is,”

that, we’d made our

enthusiasm. Every minute he had to spare between Alpha King duties, he was the perfect expecting father. Always

Alexander’s parents and used me as a pawn to get

that himself, too, even though the house staff would have gladly taken the job considering how busy he was with his new Alpha

to do it. And no one could stop

the third day, we finally assembled the crib together. Mostly, I just sat on the floor and read off the instructions to him while he did everything else. I had tried to help, but he seemed intent on doing it himself just like everything else, and I couldn’t find

him like this… it made my chest warm. Even if he was just happily preparing for our baby’s arrival and it had nothing to do with our future–or lack thereof–as a couple, seeing his

good father was something that

that… what the fuck is this thing?” Alexander

brow.

‘stabilizing dowel,” I read from

they just call

would they charge us three hundred dollars for a pile of

snorted. “Fair point. Anyway,

I rifled through the pile of parts for the crib. But I

I muttered, scratching my head. “I think they forgot to pack

passed his hand over his face. “Are you

stood. “We’ll have to

can run to the

shook my head. “I could use some

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house for days.”

part I needed, so I had to go

tired and my feet were aching, but I felt accomplished. I had even made a secret pit stop to pick up some croissants from the bakery–a recent